Typically, large cooling systems are needed for high volume air conditioning products, large refrigeration products, and any product that requires the dissipation of large amounts of waste heat. Such large cooling systems like cooling towers and large heat exchangers cool by way of exchanging the heat. The most common known method of exchanging the heat is performed by the use of water in a heat exchanger where cooling water is passed along side pipes that contain hot water or a water based solution where the heat from the hot water is transferred into the cool water.
Although this is an effective way to transfer the heat, often times the cooling water reaches such a high temperature point that it evaporates which creates steam and needs to be vented out of the system. In this event, additional cooling water needs to be added to the system to keep the system operable.
The known problem with these cooling systems that occurs when using water is an effect called scaling. Scaling occurs when the minerals and other debris within the cooling water attaches to the pipes within the cooling system causing insolation. The insolation increases the heat causing the cooling system to use more energy to cool the cooling water. Over time scaling continually builds and eventually overloads the cooling system causing the system to fail and shut down.
Through the years that have been many solutions invented to reduce or control the scaling but often they require the use of harsh chemicals that include strong acids like hydrochloric acid. These strong acids damage the pipes within the cooling system as they prevent and clean off scaling. Additionally, the harsh chemicals often spill or even worse they are vented into the sewer system causing an environmental hazard.
An electrostatic water treatment solution for large cooling systems was invented and taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,713 by Eldon Means “Means etal.” This electrostatic water system teaches the use of an electric field as a method for controlling the minerals such within the water such that they do not cause scaling. Unfortunately, the system was difficult and costly to manufacture due to the precise welding needed to produce a device that would generate an electric field while submersible in water.